Unnatural Beauty

     Although both the landscapes that we explored today were deeply altered by the mining process I couldn't keep from appreciating their beauty.  The truth is we can regret what took place in the past, but there is nothing we can do to alter it.  What we need to figure out is how to move forward and make the best of what we have.  As we sat in the shade and discussed the fear that condominiums might be built on the privately held lands in the area my thoughts were not about how to prevent this but instead I feel that this development could be done in a balanced manner that would both benefit the residents of this region but actually enhance the environment.  If development is done in a responsible environmentally sound manner then the increased tax base would only increase the ability to reclaim and remediate the land.  We preach sustainable development in third world countries.  We need to practice in WV.

     A hard lesson to learn is that residents of a region will do what they have to do to live a reasonable life style.  If we are serious about environmental issues we must find a way to do it in a way that individuals that live in this area can make a living wage.  Tourism is not the answer.  Service wages are not good enough.  As a state we must transition to an economy which is both environment and people friendly.